Bears Get Needed Kick-start

Butler Field Goal Sinks Cowboys

The Bears saved their best for last Friday night, thrilling an overheated Soldier Field crowd of 56,181 with a last-second 23-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in their preseason finale.

Kevin Butler cranked out a 53-yard field goal, longest of his career, as time expired to extricate the Bears from the depths of a winless preseason.

Coach Dave Wannstedt downplayed the significance of the triumph over his former team but acknowledged that the way the victory transpired encouraged him.

Butler was sent in to attempt the 53-yarder on second down with 12 seconds remaining. When Chris Gardocki mishandled the placement, Butler held up swinging his right leg. Gardocki rolled out and threw an incomplete pass.

Two seconds remained and the Bears had another opportunity on third down to attempt the kick. A slight breeze stirred at Butler's back as he aimed at the south goal posts. This time the snap and hold were perfect, and so was the kick as the Bears avoided their first winless preseason since 1978.

"If it had been a 20-yarder or a 50-yarder or a safety, we needed this win just to get some confidence," Butler said. "As Dave said, winning can be contagious, but losing can, too."

"It was the first time that I thought our team was truly battling at the end," Wannstedt said. "We have been in this situation every preseason game, the two-minute drill. This is going to be one of those types of years."

Backup quarterback P.T. Willis, who hit 14 of 21 for 120 yards and a touchdown, engineered the winning drive. Eight of his passes went to fullback Bob Christian for 61 yards and his second touchdown of the game. With 14:53 left, the former Northwestern fullback took a swing pass from Willis and rambled into the end zone to end a 60-yard drive.

Butler added a 46-yard field goal with 11:06 left to increase the Bears' lead to 20-14.

But the Cowboys took a 21-20 edge after a double penalty wiped out an interception by linebacker Vinson Smith. Safety Matt Goodwin was whistled for interference on the play, and Smith was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. That gave the Cowboys a first down on the Bears' 3-yard line. Third-string quarterback Jason Garrett then passed to Tyrone Williams for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:05 left.

The Bears wanted to rediscover that winning feeling.

After losing eight of their last nine games in 1992 and their first three preseason contests, a negative pattern had been forming.

"Everytime you go into a game, you want to win," said quarterback Jim Harbaugh, who completed 10 of 18 passes for 75 yards with one interception in the first half. "The other thing you want to do is execute on both sides of the ball and on special teams. You try not to get anybody hurt. If you do that, then you come out with a good, solid game. We haven't really played flawlessly."

Wannstedt again dismissed the notion of a quarterback derby between Harbaugh and Willis.

"There is no controversy," Wannstedt said. "Jim is the guy, and that is the direction we are going. He will be fine."

The Bears trailed just 14-10 at the end of the first half, even though the defending Super Bowl champion Cowboys had picked up 242 yards to the Bears' 88.

Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman showed no signs of the back surgery he had during the summer. He played the first half and hit 14 of 18 passes for 163 yards.

Aikman hooked up with Michael Irvin on five passes for 104 yards and hit Alvin Harper on key plays. Running back Derrick Lassic gained 43 yards on 12 carries to keep the Bears off balance.

"I feel I am able to move like I was able to move prior to the surgery," Aikman said. "And I haven't been limited on any of my throws. I don't feel anything on any of the throws that I am asked to make. I don't think it is going to alter the way I play the game. I don't forsee myself being concerned about my back while I am playing."

The Bears will open the season Sept. 5 at Soldier Field against the New York Giants.

"You always want to end the preseason on a good note and go into the regular season feeling good about what you are doing," receiver Tom Waddle said.

Each NFL team must trim its roster to 47 players by Monday. Wannstedt said he was encouraged by the play of running back Mark Green, who carried six times for 24 yards, and wide receiver Terry Obee's three kickoff returns for 70 yards.

The Cowboys, 1-3-1 in the preseason. cruised to a 7-0 lead on their first drive, 85 yards in eight plays. Aikman passed 41 yards to Irvin over the outstretched arms of cornerback Donnell Woolford for the score.

The Cowboys made it 14-0 when Lassic darted into the end zone from a yard out at the end of a 13-play, 80-yard drive.

The Bears cut the lead to 14-7 when rookie cornerback Keshon Johnson blocked a John Jett punt. Christian picked up the ball and ran into the end zone with 9:54 left in the second quarter.

Butler booted a 32-yard field goal at the end of the first half to pull the Bears to 14-10.

"I told the guys after the game that now is the time to step up for real," Wannstedt said.